EBTE Consultants Ltd., Athens, Greece (www.freepages.gr/ebte/indexen.html)
AleffGroup, London, UK (www.AleffGroup.com)
Special Courses on Your Site or On Line
AFSIS will be pleased to discuss with you your needs, and can arrange to deliver
such short courses on your site, or at a site of your choice, if suitably equipped
and staffed.
Special Short Courses and Consulting Services
Examples of courses available from AFSIS include:
• HACCP: Implementation in the Food Industry
• Food Safety: a holistic approach for Senior Managers
• Total Quality Management Systems in the Food Industry, including ISO
Standards.
We recommend we conduct a needs analysis with you before settling on a training program.
AFSIS is also willing to develop customised short courses, supported by consulting services, to meet your needs. Courses can be integrated into your staff training programs, and be delivered, where suitable, on line.
Certification
Courses can be certified if required (TUV Akademie).
Further Information and Registration
To register interest in attending any or all of the courses or for further information,
please complete this form or contact
Dr. Kalliopi Rantsiou,
81, Hlois Road,
151 25 MAROUSI,
GREECE
Tel: +30 210 805 2767
Mobile: +30 697 662 0959
Fax: + 30 210 612 7215
Email: ebtekar@hol.gr
Course Overviews
Course 1:
Detection of Foodborne Pathogens Using Nucleic Acid-based Techniques,
September 9-12, 2004
Course 2:
Contemporary Molecular Biology Techniques,
October 27-November 2, 2004
Course 3:
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
December 3-7, 2004
I. Introduction
Molecular biology is a relatively new scientific discipline that has revolutionized
research in the life sciences.
Molecular biology provides some answers to enduring questions in the biological sciences, such as the transfer mechanism whereby genetic information passes from one generation to the next. It also provides the necessary tools to approach and answer such questions. Researchers in human or veterinary medicine, biology, botany, microbiology and biotechnology have all benefited from this emerging revolution.
The milestones of molecular biology, outlined below, set out key advances in the discipline, which has been established in a relatively short time:
1954: The double helix model, describing the structure of the DNA molecule, is identified by Frances Crick and James Watson.
1970s: Restriction endonucleases, ligases and other enzymes are purified and their function determined. This leads to the idea of the “cloning” of DNA molecules.
1985: Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method for in vitro synthesis of DNA molecules is invented.
1990s: The “sequencing” decade (ongoing…). The process of defining the sequence of the human genome has resulted in an unprecedented improvement in dedicated equipment and supplies for molecular biology researchers. It has also seen the dawn of the genomics and proteomics era in molecular biology. The number of organisms whose genome sequence has been defined, is increasing rapidly. The information gained is changing the way research is now performed.
Molecular Biology Tools
The tools of molecular biology in a sense mimic processes in nature. To be able
to apply these tools in a laboratory environment, a good understanding of the
theory behind them is required. Participants are advised to prepare themselves
by refreshing their reading of overview texts on the development and theory
of molecular biology.
Purpose of the Courses
The Molecular Biology Short Courses offered by AFSIS have dual purposes:
This second purpose has, in turn, two aspects:
A. participants learn how to set up and equip a laboratory designed to employ Molecular Biology methods
B. participants gain intensive hands on experience, by applying these methods in a laboratory that already routinely performs such techniques.
The
core course was first given in 2003 as part of a European Union sponsored program
for capacity building in candidate member countries. Its success with participants
has led to the development of this suite of short courses.
II. Participants
The short courses are addressed to biologists, chemists, medical doctors, veterinarians,
food scientists, microbiologists and graduates of other disciplines with a background
in physical chemistry, biochemistry and biology.
Participants will acquire basic knowledge of the theory of molecular biology techniques and experience of applying these techniques in various laboratory environments, such as:
medical microbiology (for diagnostic purposes)
food analysis (food safety and quality control purposes),
environmental microbiology
plant pathology.
III. Location and Facilities
The short courses will take place in the Department of Food Science, University
of Udine, Italy. For the practical and hands-on elements of the program, participants
will enjoy full use of the state of the art Food Microbiology Laboratory. The
laboratory has all the necessary equipment and consumables for the application
of Molecular Biology protocols, which it has been performing for the past 10
years.
IV. Instructors
Dr. Luca Cocolin, BS Food Science, PhD Food Biotechnology (Udine),
is currently, Assistant Professor, University of Udine.
Dr. Kalliopi Rantsiou, BS Biology (Athens, Greece) PhD Food Science
(University of California, Davis) is a consultant with EBTE Consultants, Ltd.,
Athens.
V. Language
Courses are taught in English.
